by Christy Rodriguez de Conte

Jordan Green plays from the heart. For decades, he has kept rhythm and added funk to his music. Now, he is ready to share it with the world. 

Green, who has played with many musicians in Tallahassee, will perform with the Blaq Band at this year’s Cool Breeze Art and Smooth Jazz Festival, which runs April 11-13, with a final day of music at Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park. 

Try to challenge your brain and focus for a minute. Tap your right foot on the beat 1… 2…3…4. Now, without stopping your right foot, tap your left hand in a syncopated rhythm: 1,2 … 1,2… 1,2… keep it going. Add a left foot beat on the three count, and lastly, let your right hand emphasize the one beat loudly and emphatically. Go!

Were you able to separate the parts of your brain as a drummer does? Tallahassee-raised musician and drummer Jordan Green takes us into the secret mind of a percussionist and the focus needed to create music. 

“I can humbly say that I was born to be a musician,” says Green. Music plays a huge part in his life. At the age of 2, he vividly remembers banging on pots, pans, coffee tables, and dashboards with anything he could find. With a grandfather like Ray C Brown, pastor of New Harvest Christian Center, it was no surprise that Green spent his days playing in church bands and rehearsal rooms.

He credits his uncle Jonathan Joseph for introducing him to the drums. “My uncle actually taught me some basic fundamentals as far as rudiments. [Things like] singles, doubles, paradiddle, flam-a-diddles, the six-stroke roll,” Green said. “He also taught me groove and pocket.” And groove he does.

Being taught by family and his own musical ear has provided him with discipline and understanding deeply linked with who he is. Although he began on the piano, he eventually felt a calling toward what Green refers to as “the pure acoustic rawness of the drums.” Green learned by playing certain songs in a loop on his radio, listening to the recording’s drum beat, and then going into the garage and playing what he heard.

For Green, the calling to play drums became a blessing that has stayed with him throughout his life. 

According to Green, the drums are the heartbeat and pulse of the band. “Music is centered on a groove,” Green said. “Drums are the foundation of that groove.” Within that groove lies peace, love, and joy, and Green is here to spread every bass beat and syncopated sound with Tallahassee.

His philosophy on creating new original music is to keep it simple but interesting. Though simplicity could imply a generic sensibility, he quickly states that he believes simplicity leads to authenticity. For Green, music should speak to the individual and connect with the crowd. It should radiate within one’s soul and provide a healing that only the music can soothe. “Basically, the new music that is being created should uplift those in need and give a positive output for all to enjoy,” Green said. 

Read more on the Tallahassee Democrat.